1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and device for desoldering soldering joints and more particularly for removing components having soldered leads.
2. Background of the Invention
It is quite conventional for electrical assemblies to be constructed of printed circuit boards with electrical components, having leads, on one side of the board and printed circuits on the opposite side. The leads from the components pass through holes, or apertures in the board and are solder-connected to appropriate locations of the printed circuit. It often occurs that it is desirable or necessary to remove components from a circuit board for replacement, repair or modification of the electrical assembly. This necessitates the desoldering of the leads, conventionally with a soldering iron, and lifting off the electrical component with tweezers or other gripping tool.
More particularly, during removal of the component, the circuit board is held in a jig or fixture and the operator cuts one of the leads as close to the component as possible. Then a soldering iron is applied to the solder joint of the cut lead and when the solder is melted the component is lifted up with a tweezer or needle-nozed pliers at the melted end. Then the soldering iron is applied to the other lead after it is cut and the second solder joint melted and the component lifted off with tweezers or needle-nozed pliers. The desoldering with the iron and lifting off requires the two hands of the operator and constitutes sequential steps.
It would be desirable and efficient to provide a tool that would perform both the desoldering and lifting-off steps.